Temporary tie-holding device.



H. A. WITZIG & J. A. FRBMON.

TEMPORARY TIE HOLDING DEVICE.

APPLIOATION-FILED JUNE 11, 1912.

Patented Mar. 18, 1913.

/4' INVENTORS Homer- A WITZIS Jules A.Fr-emon By W ATTORNEYS WITNESSESUNITED STATES PATENT. ()FFIOE.

HOMER ALLEN WITZIG- AND JULES ALBERT FREMON, 0F LE-EPER, MISSOURI.

TEMPORARY TIE-HOLDING DEVICE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. 18, 1913.

Application filed June 11, 1912. Serial No. 703,031.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that we, HOMER A. WITZIG andJones A. FnnMoN, both citizens of the United States, and residents ofLeeper, in the county of Wayne and State of Missouri, have invented anew and Improved Temporary Tie-Holding Device, of which the following isa full, clear, and exact description.

The invention relates to devices that are used for lifting and holdingthe tie against the base flange of a track rail while the holding spikesare inserted, and has reference more particularly to that class whichcomprises a lever formed of two parts flexibly connected, to fulcrum onthe head of the rail, and means associated with the lever to engage thetie and the head of the rail.

An object of the invention is to provide an inexpensive and eflicientdevice possessing suflicient resiliency to withstand the shocks whilethe spikes are being driven into the tie.

Another object of the invention is to provide a device with which thetie may be brought against the base plate of the rail in a perfectlyvertical direction, and held there automatically until attached to therail.

The invention consists in the construction tie is raised and held firmlyagainst the base plate of the same ready for spiking; Fig. 3 is a planview of Fig. 2; Fig. 4 is an elevation of the gripping clamp forautomatically holding thedevice during spiking and Fig.-

5 is a modified form of a tie-gripping member of our invention.

Before proceeding to a more detailed clescription of our invention, itmust be understood that the prongs engaging the under side of the tiemay be of any suitable shape, and the end of the lever forming theprongs may be simple or bifurcated, as disclosed herein. The device asshown by the drawing includes a lever of the first class, pivotisteringholes 5 is provided in each prong,

to permit a variation in leverage, by transposing the bolt 6 and theroller 7 loosely mounted on the bolt and disposed between the prongs ofthe lever. WVhen fitted in one of the sets of holes 5, the bolt 6, inconnection with the roller 7, forms the fulcrum for the lever 3 and theentire device. In the upper end of the lever 3 and at its extremity anorifice 8 is provided to admit a bolt 9 with ample play in same. Thepart of the bolt 9 projecting above the lever 3 carries a coiled spring10 bearing at one end on the lever 3 and at the other against the washer11 in contact with the nut 12 screwed on the bolt 9. The part of thebolt 9 projecting below the lever 3 is pivotally attached to thesecond-class lever 13 by means of a pivot 14 attached near the fulcrum15 of the lever 13. At the free end of the lever 13 a clamp 16, havingthe end of the lever 13 as a pivot for its handles 17, 17, is suspended,the jaws 19 of the clamp being pivotally joined at 20 and connected tohandles 19 by pivots 21, 21, as best shown in Fig. 4.

In the modified form of our device, the only change is in the lever 3,where the lower end engaging the under side of the tie, is formed of asingle prong 4, and to prevent the fulcrum point of the lever 3 slippingoff the head of the rail when the device is applied, a large flange 22is made to project below the head of the rail on the opposite side ofthe lever 3, the flange 22 being mounted on the bolt 6 forming thefulcrum for the lever, and provided with a roller 7 When a tie is to befixed to a track rail, the device is placed in position, as indicated inFig. 1, the prong of the lever 3 engaging the under side of the tie 2,and the lever fulcruming on the head of the rail, the coiled spring 10maintaining the lever 13 against the lever 3. A downwardforce is thenapplied on the end of the lever 13, thus compressing the coiled spring10, and in consequence forcing the tie 2 against the base of the rail onthe line of least resistance, that is, vertically, as the fulcrum pointof the lever, being the roller, will roll on the head of the rail easierthan the tie will displace the ballast on its sides. The effort of thelever 13 is continued until the jaws l9 are made to engage, by means ofthe handles 17 of the clamp 16, the under side of the head of the rail2, and maintained so by the coiled spring 10 tending to intensify thegrip of the jaws on the rail, as shown in Figs. 2 and 3. After this isobtained, the spikes may be attached, and the device is disengaged firstfrom the head of the rail by applying a downward effort and forcing thehandles 17 of the clamp 16 apart and relieving the pressure. Then the)prongs of the device may be disengaged from the under side of the tie,thus completing a cycle of operation.

It will be readily understood that the spring 10 forms a resilientsupport for the tie, and in consequence of this the device is notinjured by the shocks produced during the fixing of the tie to the rail.

Having thus described our invention, we claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent:

1. A device of the class described, comprising two flexibly-connectedlevers, one of said levers having means for holding a tie against therail, the other of said levers having means for attaching to the rail tohold tie in position.

2. A device of the class described, com prising a lever of the firstclass, a lever of the second class pivotally connected intermediate thefulcrum and free end of said first-class lever, and a resilient memberconnecting the two said levers and limiting their relative movement.

3. A device of the class described, comprising a lever for use inconnection with a rail, a fulcrum on said lever adapted to rol.l on therail, and means on the ends of said lever to engage a tie and to holdthe same against the rail.

4. A device of the class described, comprising a lever of the firstclass, means on one end of said lever for engaging a tie, a lever of thesecond class, means at the free end of said second lever to attach to arail, and a flexible member connecting said lovers.

5. In a device of the class described, a first-classlever, asecond-class lever, a pivotal connection between said levers, the pivotconstituting a fulcrum for said secondclass lever, a rod pivotallyconnected to said second-class lever and extending to said first-classlever, a coiled spring on said rod and in engagement with saidfirst-class lever to maintain the two said levers normally one close tothe other.

In testimony whereof we have signed our names to this specification inthe presence of two subscribing witnesses.

HOMER ALLEN VVITZIG. J ULES ALBERT FREMON.

Witnesses T. J. SWEAZEA, H. G. HiunnsoN.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. C.

